Brown Books

I'm very pleased with the Tax Survival book. I was a little dissappointed at first with the feel of it because when I got it I thought it was a magazine. However, very handy and a great value. I'm using the pockets to store my receipts.

Perfect for an average person like me. Covers all subjects; if you want more info, they refer you to the right IRS publication. Concise, fun, cautious (out west we like that). Colorful; allows you to file your federal & state (don't have that in Wyoming, but most folks do) forms, e-file, only for $9.95. Not a frat joke name like For Dummies or Idiots Guide. Sorry guys, a girl talking! Great book for everyone.

Best 6 bucks I spent this year

I am only 26 and new at the tax game. This book was a quick read; I skipped over the long bulky reference books that I can't believe anyone really reads. Each subject was covered.

Take a look at the Deferred savings account article. In only 4 pages it describes up to 9 choices. I also liked the short descriptions of capital gains, areas to worry about, etc.

The quality of the paper and the graphics is good too. Terrific value. I plan to use their $9.95 Internet service to file my Fed and Ohio taxes, efile, and get my refund FAST. Internet is the way to go!

Anyone who can lighten up taxes has my vote!!

The only book I have found that is short, covers all the subjects, has a bright crisp feel to it (nice paper; colorful; cartoons and comments to keep you awake). Hope to read other books by these folks; if you can make Tax interesting, other stuff should be easy.

I like their concept of less is more. Wading through reference materials in most of the other tax books is like going through a jungle. They provide directions to deeper information through IKONS that refer you to the IRS pub you need.

Has all the websites for IRS, States, etc. And you can file your fed/state taxes, plus e-file for only $9.95.

Also, I really don't like the name "Dummies" or "Idiots". Survival sounds a lot more supportive and less like a joke name--and taxes are no joke!

Less than $10; so how can you go wrong. Enough from me. Good reading!

the downside: it's a fast read. I finished it in a night. what else? well, unless he tells us more we're never going to know anything else about Liz, or his mom or even much about his dad, and that's a loss. oh yes, his mom's death (sorry if that's a spoiler) is tough to read, and can really get in your head.

the upside: it's a gift; open, honest, real and important because it's open, honest and real. You don't usually get to see the inside of a heart quite this clearly, without also seeing a good amount of blood. But Everett cleans up his own mess and simply stands there and holds out his heart, warm and beating. He lets you look at it and feel it and hold it.
(And this is all metaphorical and sounds disgusting, but) it was lovely.

Wasn't familiar with the Eels before I picked this up, but heard good things about the book. The intimate look into Everett's troubled yet prodigious life; his raw, subtly humorous voice; and his fantastical personal and rock star journey made for a fast and fascinating read.

Recommend this to fans of Augusten Burroughs. My interest's been piqued to pick up a copy of the Eels' latest hits.

I knew of the author's music with the Eels, but one needn't know him at all to appreciate how special this book is. It's a rare memoir that can speak candidly of such heartbreaking events while making you laugh out loud at the same time (and I'm not the kind of person who usually laughs out loud at books)! Readers will be surprised by this unique, charming, poignant story. I even love the cover. It's a little book that roars.

I loved this book. I admire E's (Mark Oliver Everett) willingness to open both his life, his heart and his soul to us via this book. It is one of the most personal, candid, and frank autobiographies I have every read. While I was reading it I felt I was in a very private conversation with the artist and author. His music speaks volumes to me and I am touched that the creation of his music touched him also. This is a book for the real music fan that understands music can be real nourishment and a savior for the human soul and the human spirit.

I've been an Eels fan since Beautiful Freak came out, and have since purchased the catalogue as the records came out. I wouldn't necessarily consider myself a 'superfan', but I definitely have an appreciation for the fact that each record is varied, is obviously sincere, and carries with it a heavy dose of integrity (something that is more than rare in music these days).

When I found out that Mark Everett had written a book, I was intrigued to say the least. With such scattered & quirky musical ambitions, I was sure that he would have some interesting things to say. I underestimated how interesting!! I'm sure there had to be a certain amount of disconnect inherent in the writing of this book, as it would be more than difficult to explore the events throughout his life without it. That said, I definitely appreciate the witty sense of humour and sarcasm throughout the book, a sort of tongue-in-cheek walk through a man's life as he explores all of the ups & downs & absurdities that life has to offer.

I walked into this book an Eels fan. I walked out with a deep appreciation of the author and all that he has had to endure to bring us something real, both in his personal life and as a musician.

If you're into Eels at all, you'll be glad you picked up the book.

Fantasic for maximum information, insightful interpretations, and maintaining clear readings while encouraging intuition.
Better for people who already have experience with the I Ching and Chinese and Taoist philosophy.

The I Ching has been an immensely important influence on my life. For well over three decades, I have sought its advice, judgment and solace. It has remained an unchanging spiritual lifeboat for me, like the shoals of dolphins that rescue and secure the shipwrecked to safety. I credit the Wilhem/Baynes/Jung edition for saving my life and, in particular, the editions by Carol K. Anthony, Sam Reifler, Brian Brown Walker, Sarah Dening, R. L. Wing, John Blofeld and Stephen Karcher for enriching it.

This latest of Karcher's books on the I Ching, Total I Ching: Myths for Change, is a masterpiece. Karcher successfully takes the original texts and jettisons almost all the moralistic moorings that are at times difficult to get around in other translations. He takes a shamanistic and pragmatic approach, eschewing doom-and-gloom predictions for succinct, somewhat dispassionate advice. For instance, rather than hearing hopelessly negative news from the 6th changing line of Hexagram 24 (Return), Karcher says "Trap!...You are returning to an old delusion, blinded by self-deception and infatuation. If you go on in this way, your hard-won growth will be destroyed. It will take at least ten years to deal with the repurcussions of this catastrophe. The Way is closed. Think about where this desire comes from. Whatever you do, don't act this out....Take things in. Be open and provide what is needed." I find this type of advice far more useful than the the stark proclamation of horrific bad luck given in some versions of the I Ching, which could almost cause the susceptible to contemplate jumping off the Golden Gate bridge.

His commentary on the 2nd line of Hexagram 49 (Skinning/Revolution) is: "There is excellence in moving now. This is your time. Move into the dance. You can change the world. Put everything into solution. Don't be shy. Be a hero. Vigorous action opens the Way. This is definitely not a mistake. Be resolute. You are connected to a creative force." This successfully communicates the positive energetic information without quite making one giddy. I enjoy and need a slightly sober reminder that my good fortune lies in remaining connected to the creative force, from which all blessings flow. Total I Ching provides this without the puritanical tone found in some other versions.

It is easy to bypass some of the more esoteric information on each hexagram and go directly to the sections most important for divination. The tone is helpful and grounding, yet invigorating. I personally am more interested in that than the scholarly details, but those who seek them won't be disappointed. My only criticisms are that it would have been far, far more helpful to have the Hexagram numbers placed on each page. You have to go through pages and pages to get your bearings in the text, rather than being able to flip easily to the hexgram you want. Also, I really wish this book was available in hardback. For those of us that actually use and refer to the I Ching on a regular basis, this is essential as well as aesthetically preferable. The text deserves to be preserved in a hardback edition. This is a wonderful, wonderful book.

If I could give this book six I would.

If you love the I-Ching; If you read every single one you can find; this book is simply eons beyond all the rest.

The other I-Chings I used to really like were the one by Alfred Huang, and the one by Rudolph Ritsema. This is like taking the best aspects of both of those two and combining them and making them even better.

Check it out!

This is one of the BEST I-Ching Translations I've ever read. I had found several before, most notably the Legge Version and the Idiot's Guide. These are awesome versions for the basic Divination Student, but the depth and wealth of connections, syncronicities, and interrelationships between all the Hexagrams is best related in this text. I highly recommend this one, as well as the Karcher I-Ching with Concordance, and the simpler How to Use the I-Ching by Karcher as well.

This is the 2nd book I have bought written by the author Stephen Karcher.This book is very indepth and offers more guidance on all matters.The advice is easy to understand but beginners might want to find suitable learning books before adding this book to your collection.The number of pages for each hexagram can vary from about 4 pages and some are up to 6 pages long.Thats a bit too much for my liking,but,some people might like it.Consider that factor before you buy this book.

The print in this book is smaller compared to the authors "Symbols of love" book.Both books are very similar but "Total I Ching" is for all matters.

I also recommend these books:
1)"I Ching:a new interpretation for modern times."By Sam Reifler.
2)"Practical guide to the I Ching".By Kim-Anh Lim.

Angela Carole Brown offers the working musician a valentine in "Trading Fours", an unabashed glimpse into a little known (and little valued) world. As Ms. Brown once explained, most `civilians' characterize musicians as Madonna and Sting, or simply the kids in the garage. "Trading Fours" is about those in between.

Ms. Brown's characters are richly drawn and should be immediately recognizable even to the non-musician. They crackle with angst, jealousy, bitterness, and, occasionally, hope and enthusiasm. Her dialog is crisp and her imagery so vivid, you'll be able to taste the stale dinner rolls at the gig.

For the musician, "Trading Fours" will cut to the bone. Ms. Brown, herself a musician and artist of rare, uncompromising quality, knows this world well. This is an accurate mirror, an honest reflection of a group who despite popular opinion really has no other choice but to do what they do. The empathy Ms. Brown has for her colleagues is obvious.

On a personal note, as one who has had the joy and honor of making music with Angela, I must say that "Trading Fours" reminds me of the real reason we do this, the reason that gets pushed aside far too often: Music.

Thank you, Angela.

Blend engaging characters - that you care about from the instant you meet them - with a spirited storyline filled with creative twists and turns that reflect both life and the jazz idiom it represents and you have 'Trading Fours'.

I literally couldn't put it down.

Thank you, Angela, for a gifted performance. Looking forward to your next literary gig...

I just finished reading "Trading Fours" and Boy! it hits hard on many levels - not just the accurate depiction of characters
with all the tortured thought processes but a really good storyline as well.
The deathbed scenes with Hayes and Seth are truly dramatic and will touch you all the way down to the core of your deepest sensitivities.
You can recognize all four main characters and all sub-characters because Ms Brown has made them familiar to anyone who's been or still is part of this world.
The feelings and thoughts behind each situation pass through all our consciousness at one time or other- some more than once.
some are just constant nagging and torture. (that ringing in my ears bothering anyone?)
I recommend this read to anyone who doesn't understand this level of the music business - and why some choose it.
(starting with my mom)

To anyone who has ever said "Oh, you're a musician. What's your day job?" - READ THIS BOOK!

Angela Carole Brown captures, in a "take no prisoners and pull no punches" style, the true realities of what it is to be a free-lance musician working the casual gig scene on LA. The roller-coaster lifestyle, the compliments, the insults, the loves and heartaches, the sacrifices and rewards, the way musicians are looked at by other people and the way musicians look at other musicians - it's all in "Trading Fours." This book should be required reading in every college and university music school under the heading of "Gig Reality 101."

I have had the privilege of working with Angela in a variety of situations in LA over the past 8 years, and rest assured - she's no "chick singer." She is a true musician, in every positive sense of the word. It's a shame her CD's are not included with the book. They would, without a doubt, establish her credibility to anyone who might have any doubt as to what she is talking about.

They live among us, but in many ways they live in a parallel and opposite universe, like Bizarro World in Superman. They work all weekend while the rest of us play, but they get to sleep as late as they want in the morning. Except on Sunday of course, when they have to get up early to go play their Church gig.

I'm talking about Casual musicians. No, not the musicians you see playing in the Symphony Orchestra down at the Music Center. Not the kids making a racket in your neighbor's garage trying to play Linkin Park covers. Not even the Top 40 band playing down at the local nightclub. I mean the tuxedoed mercenaries who show up 20 minutes before downbeat to play the live music for your Wedding, Bar Mitzvah or Corporate Party.

This is what is known as a Casual. No rehearsal. You may never have met the other Casual musicians you're about to play with. You have all been sent to this hotel or Country Club ballroom by a Casual Agency, which books the gigs and takes most of the money. It will sound just fine however, because everybody knows all three or four hundred tunes they're expected to, and can fake or sight-read the rest.

Maybe it has something to do with the tuxedo (or black evening dress that female Casual musicians wear), or maybe it's the income bracket, but Casual musicians hover in the social food chain somewhere between the waiter at your table and the guy that parks your car when you pull up to the hotel. This in spite of the years of diligent practice and yes, talent that it takes to master their craft and yes, their art.

Art and Commerce make strange bedfellows, and most Casual musicians would scoff if you asked them if they considered a Casual an artistic event. Nevertheless, all but the most jaded and bitter among them bring as much musicality as they can to these proceedings and under the best circumstances, they can be very enjoyable events. They can also be endless, hellish tribulations, hence the raising of one's wrist to look at one's watch being known as the `musician's salute'.

There is a certain camaraderie among Casual musicians. Perhaps borne of a shared feeling of being outside the mainstream of society. Artists forced to prostitute their gift in return for a wage far below their qualifications. This is one of the favorite topics of conversation between musicians on Casuals. They will always chuckle when you tell them the old joke: "How do you make a musician complain?" "Give him a gig".

Almost all Casual musicians have something else that they're working on besides Casuals. Something with a future, and something more fulfilling than playing slavish imitations of the same old songs, night after night. In this era of the home recording studio, everyone now has a studio quality CD of their own original material and performances. And there's always that possibility in the back of everyone's mind that they themselves could rise above this workaday existence with the stroke of a record company executive's pen.

The fact that it is a statistically tiny possibility does not banish the tinge of dreams that it brings to this lifestyle, like being permanently enrolled in the lottery. Not since the gold rush have there been so many dreamers happy to plug away at such a long shot. Actors don't qualify, because they make their living waiting tables. Indeed, simply earning your livelihood playing music is the fulfillment of a dream. As they say, it beats working.

This fraternity of dreamers lives right in the midst of the rest of us, and yet they have their own world, which is mostly invisible to everyone else. This is the world that Angela Carol Brown brings to life in Trading Fours. She is a natural born storyteller, and she has lived this life, so it exudes an air of autobiography. Indeed, you would swear these characters are real people. Maybe that's because they are.

I am aware of very few works of fiction that deal with this interesting world where art meets commerce and dreams encounter reality. The Adam Sandler movie `The Wedding Singer' dealt with the subject in a somewhat slapstick vein, and did nail some of the truly hilarious aspects of this business, but the characters were cardboard cutouts.

In Trading Fours we get glimpses into the lives of four central characters, all in the course of one 24-hour period. Each chapter deals with each of them in turn, emulating the Jazz musical device of `trading fours', where each musician will improvise for four measures and then on to the next musician and the next in turn. Each four measure `solo' by each musician should reflect and complement those of his band mates, and this is exactly how the chapters work together in Trading Fours, eventually coalescing into a whole at the denouement.

But this is much more than a book about a lifestyle. It is a rumination on life itself, and what's important. It's about four people finding their way to their own answer to that question. It is all leading up to a tribute to a dying musical icon named Hayes DeWitt, who symbolizes the spirit of fierce loyalty to ones own dream, even in the face of worldly failure. This is a masterfully woven tale by a master storyteller. The spirit of the book itself is summed in one of the last lines of the book: "This one's for Hayes".

I stumbled across Helene Hanff in a place no devout reader should ever be--a video store. After watching '84 Charing Cross Road' I was enchanted with Miss Hanff's wit and humor, and needed more. After an arduous search, I found a used copy of 'Underfoot...' and read it in less than 2 days. I even found myself laughing aloud at parts, which greatly disturbed the people sitting next to me. Hanff's ability to laugh at herself and to extract the humor from any situation is addictive. The book begins with a note to the reader: 'Each year, hundreds of stagestruck kids arrive in New York determined to crash the theatre, firmly convinced they're destined to be famous Broadway stars or playwrights. One in a thousand turns out to be Noel Coward. This book is about life among the other 999. By one of them.' From there, Miss Hanff takes the reader on a tour of her adventures and experiences as a struggling playwright in an honest and spirited manner. I was left wishing that my life was as unpredictable and ironic as Miss Hanff's struggle to live her dreams.

Helene Hanff published this, her first book, in 1961. She shares stories from her years as a struggling playwright in New York City; her good friend Maxine was a struggling actress. Practically penniless, they still managed to see first-run shows and movies regularly. How they did it is one of many memorable and funny tales.

I couldn't help laughing at the merry-go-round of a Broadway agent shopping a play all over town. Ms. Hanff tells how 'Oklahoma!' was named (she was there). One of her many jobs involved speed-reading long novels; her take on Tolkein is slightly different than Peter Jackson's.

I echo a previous reviewer's thought: this book would make a terrific film. 'Underfoot in Show Business' is a gem, a memoir full of magic and wit. Highly recommended.

This witty, touching memoir tells the story of Helene Hanff's attempt to "crash the theater". It is as entertaining and charming as her great book, 84 Charing Cross Road

I first heard of this book 20 years ago, in a letter to the editor in Seventeen Magazine. The letterwriter was distantly related to Helene Hanff and was recommending the book. At the time, I was deeply involved in my high school drama program and the title of the book appealed to me. I tried for years to find the book, but it was out of print for a time. When I did finally find it, it was worth the wait. It is laugh-out-loud funny and touching to anyone who has ever been bitten by the drama bug. I was sold on the book the minute I read the preface, which reads in part, "Each year hundreds of of stage-struck kids arrive in New York determined to crash the theatre...one in a thousand turns out to be Noel Coward. This book is about life among the other 999, by one of them." This book turned me on to all of Helene Hanff's other books, each of which is worthwhile in its own right. However, the best of the bunch is right here. This book should be on every booklover's must have list!

I once had to read a bit of this book out to some strangers on a plane who wanted to know why I was laughing out loud and then we had champagne and it was a great flight and Miss Hanff had even more fans. The tears were running down our faces. [ For those of you who have read it already it was the bit about the funeral parlour].

This book, like all of Miss Hanff's works, makes you feel great to be alive.

I've come to love my native city more and more by seeing it through Miss Hanff's eyes.

Very rare, and valuable to find a book like this one! Many resign themselves to hopelessness when diagnosed with an illness or a hardship. However, this book sheds light, and contains a hopeful message about approaching our lives and the four sufferings (aging, sickness, death, and birth) with hope, dignity, and meaning. Sophisticated Buddhist concepts (7 centuries old), such as:
the oneness of body and mind; oneness of man and environment; cause and effect, are explained in simple terms. Eastern views of karma, collective karma, karmic suffering, and karmic disease are also discussed, and explained in detail. Profound discussion and analysis of the mind and diseases of the body and mind, psychology, science, health, astronomy, and so much more, are also discussed. Questions such as how we can cultivate the unique potentials that all life has inherent inside itself, as well as ways to overcome challenges in our own individual cosmos (our lives), and that of the entire world itself, are also examined. It becomes increasingly clear, that our individual life, and our beliefs, instantaneously impacts that of another life, either imparting value or worthlessness and of lack of concern, or awareness that the two are one. We have potentials to build ourselves, others, and our planet up, or to destroy ourselves, others, and our planet. Whichever we choose thoroughly affects our individual happiness and has a penetrating effect on our the Cosmos as a whole.

This thought-provoking book is a clear, concise introduction to life and death as viewed by Buddhism. Daisaku Ikeda writes that Buddhist philosophy and its practice provide a vehicle by which people can understand the essence of the universe and therefore surmount the anger, despair, greed, and envy that often arise from ignorance about the true nature of life. Daisaku Ikeda finds a particularly relevant message - that enlightenment can be found in the daily lives of ordinary people - in the teachings of the thirteenth-century Japanese Buddhist sage Nichiren.

In the first part of the book, the author examines issues of birth, longevity, health, sickness, and death as they affect people today. Later chapters are concerned with explaining fundamental concepts in Buddhist theory. Throughout the book, he illustrates the fascinating correspondence between Buddhism and current scientific thought. Complete with a glossary, index, and foreword by noted astronomer Professor N. C. Wickramasinghe, this book is a wide-ranging, vigorously-written exposition which will challenge and absorb the non-Buddhist reader as well as those more familiar with Buddhism.

This in-depth look at the very nature of life and death portrays the extensive knowledge and wisdom of Dr. Ikeda on the title subject. I found it to be fascinating and informative and would highly recommend a look at this profound view of our own humanity.

I can't praise this book enough. To sum it up briefly:

Buddhism teaches that all individuals innately possess infinite power and wisdom, and reveals the process whereby these qualities can be developed. In this incredible book, Daisaku Ikeda, leader of the world's largest Buddhist organization, the Soka Gakkai International, explores this premise and its means of realization, while charting the universal relevance of Buddhist thought and practice in today's world.

Buddhist patterns of thought can offer release from the suffering of birth, old age, sickness and death through a progressive understanding of their place in the cycle of universal existence.

This book is a wide-ranging, vigorously written exposition which will challenge and absorb the non-Buddhist reader as well as the Buddhist.

Highly recommended.

Being a 22 year old mother and one who grew up in this philosophy, this book provides a truly wonderful explanation of why we believe in the eternity of life. In fact, before reading this book I was confused on certain aspects of this practice which I was able to understand afterwards. It was also very comforting in terms of dealing with a recent suicide of a friend, knowing that for lifetimes to come I will always be with my friends and family again.

This book made me feel so good that I wanted to move to Martha's Vineyard to experience Susan Branch's seasons and possibly be neighbors with her! I am no homemaker type, cooking is hard for me and normally I am cynical about these kinds of books. But what a happy surprise this book was. Great ideas for parties and the details of entertaining, not just how to make the food. I certainly love my copy - especially the section on Fall - made me feel all warm and halloween-ish!

I recieved this book as a wedding gift almost 10 years ago, and I really love it. The recipes are fabulous, and the book itself is just beautiful, with poems and ideas for each season. A cookbook you can browse through over and over again.

The recipes in this book are easy to follow. They do not require a lot of unusual ingredients which you may not have in your pantry. It's also a treat to look at; the illustrations are fun and fanciful.

I very much enjoy all of Susan Branch's books. This one was the first one I bought and it is well used. The book's recipes are simple recipes with many ingredients that you would already have in your own cupboard. The book is handwritten by Susan and she also does all the illustrations. It is filled with pictures and quotes and personal notes. Susan has a sunny style, the pictures are colorful and the books are wonderfully upbeat-as much fun to read as they are to cook from. I always read them first and tag all the pages with sticky notes on what I will try. I now own all of her books, and have found all of them to be wonderful. These books would make great gifts as well as a wonderful addition to your own kitchen.

This was my first Susan Branch book, of which now I have several, but I had no idea when I purchased it what a treat was in store for me! Each and every page of this, and all of her books, are chock full of the most beautiful artwork imaginable; thoughtful, inexpensive ideas, delicious recipes (although I'm not much of a cook) and beautifully written as well. I enjoy picking up one of my Susan Branch books and read it from cover to cover; absorbing each and every emotion that she puts into her work; it is all so very obvious how much she cares. Eventually, Susan Branch will feel like an old friend to you. I highly recommend each and everyone of her books, and enjoy giving them as gifts, too!

If you have not read Ross Thomas before I envy you because you are in for a great treat and have a lot of books to chose from. Like many Ross Thomas books the plot is inventive but also incidental to the humor and flash of the characters. I recommend reading A Chinaman's Chance, and Out on the Rim before reading this book. They earlier books featuring Artie Wu and his partner Durant. It is not necessary to read them in order of publication, but it helps a little, and to be truthful I enjoyed the earlier books more.
St. Martins Press is to be congratulated for reprinting many of his books. He had gone out of print for awhile, but the more I read his books the more I wonder why. He is a great stylist with a edge of dark humor. Ross Thomas should be on anyone's reading list who wants to consider himelf or herself familiar with recent American mystery/thriller writers. He is one of the best.

I got the audio tape for my husband's Christmas in 2006. He really liked it, and I'm glad because he died in January'07.He enjoyed audio books because he was blind.

Ross Thomas could do just about anything he set his mind to, and fortunately for us, the readers, he set his mind to writing fast-paced, funny, complicated thrillers that are as much fun to read the second time around as they are the first.

By the way, VOODOO LTD is the third in the Artie Wu, Quincy Durant series, not the second. The first is CHINAMAN'S CHANCE. All three book, like Mr. Thomas's other books, are terrific.

Ross Thomas, the author of a long series of mystery/thrillers, reunites the shady team of Artie Wu and Quincy Durant in "Voodoo Ltd." Also returning from "Out on the Rim" are Georgia Blue, cashiered Secret Service agent, Booth Stallings, terrorism expert (and sometime Georgia Blue paramour) and the timeless Otherguy Overby. This novel sets up the team a bit differently from Out on the Rim, in which they straight-forwardly set out to "liberate" US$5 million of other people's money. In Voodoo, they are commissioned by a rich German who runs a rather sophisticated version of an employment agency, to track down two missing brother/sister hypnotists and figure out who really shot the billionaire boyfriend/fiancee of a Hollywood actress. As with most Thomas novels, the characters and their interplay are what carries this story. Each is a distinct personality playing the game by their own rules as they see fit, and sometimes it's difficult to figure out which side each is on. This is another fine Ross Thomas effort - I only wish he had lived long enough to write a 3rd Wu/Durant novel (as he was able to with Padillo and McCorkle).

The book's title, Voodoo, Ltd., derives from a mispronounciation of Wudu, Ltd., a London based detective agency run by two Americans, Artie Wu and Quincy Durant.
Early in the course of this smartly written dark comedy, a wealthy German businessman with the improbable name of Enno Glimm hires Wu and Durant to locate a pair of British hypnotists who have suddenly gone missing in Southern California. Glimm suspects that the hypnotists are about to blackmail Ione Gamble, a Hollywood actress-director, who has been charged with murdering her ex-fiance. Which is to say that Voodoo, Ltd. is the granddaddy of all shaggy dog stories. And what an entertaining one it is!
Before descending onto the Los Angeles scene, Wu and Durant hire three former colleagues to assist them. They are; Booth Stallings a 65 year old counterterrorism expert, Georgia Blue, a statuesque former Secret Service agent who has spent the last five years in a Manila prison, and Maurice Otherguy Overby, an adventurer with dubious ethical standards. Together, these five very colorful and supremely resourceful characters use every trick in the book to solve the mystery while at the same time making sure that one or more of them doesn't double cross the others.
This is a deliciously witty, irreverent novel. Believable? Not for a minute. It's not meant to be.
It is meant to be a hilariously funny, over the top, comedic novel. And by that standard, it is an overwhelming success. Read Voodoo, Ltd., you'll love it.

This is a must read book for Lightworkers. It helps explain how and why
Earth had to go into hibernation till now. It may be confusing to read at
first but keep reading.....You'll understand

This was was very meaningful story for me. My second time through I noticed details I missed before; the reoccuring dragonfly when yawri talked with Moran, the orange light throughout the book including in Pergaine's crystal before and after the battle. So much weaving of images and events. Well done.

Provoking and written with exquisite skill. The book may help to inspire a new perspective about the world and your relationship with it. Read it.

there are many levels to this book. I saw how the symbolism at the beginning of ch 2 was reflected at the books end, but I suspect I missed a lot. I'm reading it again.

I couldn't put this book down. It's a great story based on soul memory of our human history. I found it touched connections in me that opened my heart to an older part of myself. I can feel the truth of this story, and feel more whole now as a result of reading it.

Miranda goes to a concert on her birthday with her friend Tasha and meets Prince Charming aka Keith Martin. He is the opposite of the boy she dated previously (jock Ryan). The book shows the blossoming of this new relationship and how it affects their family and friends. This book is so well written and so realistic that I kept wanting to read until I get to the end. Very believable characters with real issues teen sex, peer pressure and family values and etiquette. Looking forward to the author next novel.

Reviewed by Susan Pettrone for Reader Views (1/07)

Miranda is awakened on the morning of her 16th birthday by her friend Tasha who informs her that she is going with her and her sister Carly to a concert that very night! Wildly excited about this fantastic turn of fate, Miranda doesn't realize that the concert will put into play a series of events that will change her and her life forever. Meeting Keith, a handsome artistic soul whom she falls in love with, is just the beginning of many changes ahead for both Miranda and Keith.

To say that the story is all pink flowers and sweet talk would be misrepresenting the book. It is more than that. It is a book that has its romantic moments which each young girl likes to read, but it also is a book that puts into words the difficulties and choices a young teenage couple must make as their relationship grows ever closer. Miranda is no innocent by any means within this book, nor is she a worldly wise young woman either. What she is, is a typical teen, caught between youth and adulthood and who makes one bad choice which later causes her to make another harder one.

From the beginning of their relationship, Miranda and Keith, meet in a semi-secret way, not telling Miranda's parents the whole truth about their meetings. Drawn into the plan for secrecy and innocent encounters is Mack, Miranda's brother and Tasha who find that they do in fact have more in common than they originally thought. The contrast between the two budding couples is interesting to watch unfold as both pairs learn more about each other and decide how to proceed in their relationships. The choices are as different as the couples are and the choices they make are ones that form a basis for what is to come next in the book.

The choice Keith and Miranda make to finally have sex is a common one for young couples, and one that they tried to put off for as long as possible. But the choice they make to have unprotected sex is one they soon find themselves regretting, for it is obvious that after one brief encounter, Miranda is in fact pregnant.

How Miranda handles this news, who she tells and how she tells them is a real part of this book as is her relationship with not only Keith and Tasha, but her brother Mack who is by now, not only her brother but her confidant too in matters of the heart. What the future holds for these two couples, the hard decisions they must make and how they come about their choices is what makes this book a "must read" for young teens. It is within the pages of this book that common teen problems are addressed and solved which change their lives forever. It is the type of book which you wish you could "rewind" parts of the story and make other choices for the characters but which you know, like in real life, is impossible to do.

I would highly recommend "What's Happily Ever After, Anyway?" for all young teens as it is well written, true to life and frank without coming off as "preachy." It is a book that will cause the reader to take pause and evaluate choices made and how those choices can change forever their lives. In reading this book, the reader cannot help but think long and hard about choices they will face and the consequences of each choice they do make.

My friends and I loved this book!
It reminds us of our high school. The romance is really great and boyfriend is so cool (and handsome). The ex-boyfriend reminds me of every high school mean jock who wears a varsity letter and is a true jerk. They think that every girl is in love with them. Give us a break!
Poor Miranda does get into a bit of trouble tho.....
If you like reading true romance, you'll love this book.
We do!

Miranda comes face to face with Prince Charming, but things don't always work out the way they are supposed to. Or do they? Ms. Taylor is dead on with her characters and their angst. Miranda and her family and friends face some difficult choices. Yes, the book is edgy, but don't let that stop you. Once you start reading, you will want to finish in one sitting. Great choice for anyone looking for a realistic adolescent novel.
I can't wait for her next book.

Michelle Taylor's What's Happily Ever After, Anyway? focuses on answering the title question in terms young adults can relate to. The characters she created are typical teenagers that readers can easily imagine having as friends, or perhaps representing someone the already know. She addresses important issues such as pre-marital sex, rape, abortion, dating, being a teenage Mom and even dealing with harassment in school. Taylor not only brings these topics to light but she does it in such a way that readers will be entertained, touched and informed all at the same time.

Miranda meets the boy of her dreams at a rock concert on her sixteenth birthday and quickly begins to believe she has found her Prince Charming. Though not a virgin, Miranda's disastrous relationship with a football star at her school has taught her to be more cautious with her body and more careful with her heart. Readers follow Miranda on a journey of self discovery as she talks to her parents about sex, deals with sexual harassment and an unexpected pregnancy. We suffer with her, agonize over her choices and hold our breath until the end of the novel.

Taylor does not preach to readers in this book. She manages to entertain readers while outlining all the options available to her heroine. There is no prejudice or judgment in this book. It is merely a look into the problems of an average teenage girl who makes a couple of wrong decision and provides a valuable lesson for young adult readers.

Through the magic of Taylor's storytelling Miranda's pain becomes their own, and her mistakes could possible become a life saving lesson for readers. More oriented towards girls, this book should be read by any teenage female who has questions about boys, sex or life in general for this book truly contains valuable life lessons. Recommended for readers 12 and up.

Reviewed for Flamingnet Book Reviews by C. Devilbiss.

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